House Committee Approves Amended Version of Health "Bridge" Bill

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Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Robert Lang

The House Health and Government Operations Committee has approved the governor’s emergency legislation to provide temporary health insurance to those who couldn’t get it because of problems with the state’s health benefit exchange.

The bill enrolls those people into the Maryland Health Insurance Program (MHIP) at a cost of up to $10 million.

However, the committee approved an amendment requiring the MHIP board to provide monthly reports on efforts to get people enrolled in the temporary program into more permanent coverage.

The amendment was sponsored by Committee Chairman Peter Hammen, and House Minority Leader Nic Kipke.

The committee approved the bill by a vote of 15-5.

The amendement means the bill will have to go back to the Senate, once the House of Delegates approves it. The full House is due to begin debating the bill on Friday, with a final vote expected as early as Monday night.

Officials believe that anywhere from a few hundred to 5,000 people may be elligble for the temporary coverage.

However, officials of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange believe fewer people may need the temporary coverage, based on the number of people who signed up for retroactive coverage, offered by the four companies on the exchange.

Carolyn Quattrocki, executive director of the exchange, told the committee that as of Tuesday 1,284 households registered for the coverage, retroactive to January 1.

Tuesday was the deadline for enrollment for the retroactive coverage. A spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says the final enrollment figures for the retroacftive coverage may be higher.